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Why Your Finance Website Needs a Quality Site Search

Written by Cludo | May 11, 2023

As an finance employee, you know that member satisfaction is the highest priority for your bank or credit union. With internet banking on the rise, (the number of digital banking users is expected to reach 3.6 billion globally by 2024) your banking website and app are a vital part of the user experience: they help members get where they need to go. 

As of 2022, 78% of adults in the U.S. prefer to bank via a mobile app or website, meaning your digital experience must be personalized to every visitor. That's where tailored site search comes in.

The intersection of financial websites, artificial intelligence, and site search has the potential to revolutionize the way consumers interact with financial institutions online. By leveraging AI-powered site search, financial websites can offer a more personalized and seamless user experience, while also improving search accuracy and relevancy.

Read on as we discuss the many benefits of optimizing your bank or credit union website's search!

1. Customize the search experience to your organization's needs

What many of our customers don't realize, is just how customizable search can be. Whether you want search to be the focal point of a web page or an icon within your navigation, the possibilities are endless. Search can be incorporated into every part of your digital experience, from full page search bars to chat-prompted search assistants.

Having a tailored search function shows site visitors your organization cares about the overall user experience, helping to build trust.

2. Save employee time and resources

Another benefit of website search is that it saves time for both members and your employees. Search allows visitors to quickly find the information they need without having to navigate through multiple pages, helping to reduce the number of support inquiries and phone calls. This can free up time for your staff to focus on more complex tasks, such as financial planning and advising.

3. Improve the user experience through AI-powered relevance

High-quality search is built on artificial intelligence, increasing the overall relevance. Relevance being how suitable search results are to a given query. AI-powered search considers hundreds of factors when determining relevance, including semantic signals, linguistic signals, publish date, and length.

But what does improved relevance mean for your website (and in turn, your bank or credit union?

Not only does relevant search help members find what they need, it makes their time on your website or app more convenient. While site visitors will remember a poor user experience, they will also remember a pleasant experience and be more likely to return to that site. 

Relevant search can also guide visitors to additional products and services that they may not have known existed. By presenting relevant results, your website encourages engagement based on specific search queries, providing members more value and chances to expand on your bank or credit unions offerings.

4. Build trust with your members

An intelligent search function can provide a competitive advantage for your business. As we discussed earlier, members are more likely to choose a financial institution with a user-friendly website that meets their needs, including easy-to-use search. By providing a consistent digital experience, your members will return to your website more frequently, helping to build your reputation and maintain their trust.
 
With intelligent search you have the power to take it a step further by curating the search experience through easy-to-use tools. If your visitors are consistently searching for new credit cards or bank closures, maybe your website needs a time-sensitive banner you can customize throughout the year. Running a promotion on loan rates? Use boostings to make sure that content is at the top of your search results. Continually build trust with your members while letting search do the work for you.
 

5. Acquire and retain more members

We know how important it is to not only retain your current members, but to continually grow your customer base. Which can sometimes be easier said than done in this digital era. More and more, younger consumers are looking to digital-friendly ways of accessing information and services, making it more important than ever to have reliable, intuitive search on your website or app.

When new and existing members can easily find the information they need, they are more likely to complete transactions, such as opening a new account or applying for a loan - increasing your organization's conversion rates and revenue. 

6. Get to know your members

Quality site search can impact more than just the short-term: it can help you better understand your members and what is important to them. With an intelligent search solution, you have access to a wealth of analytics. With these extensive search analytics, you have the power to dive into exactly what members are looking to get from your website. 
 

With limited resources and varying priorities, your team may not have time to research what really interests your visitors. But your site search analytics can give you that insight! Search analytics can help you decide what content to create next. Use your analytics to determine overall search intent, analyze search origin pages and search destination pages to find content gaps and places to add calls-to-action. The potential is limitless!

Additionally, your search analytics provide ample insight into how your members search. Use geo data to see exactly where your users are searching from. Dive into device data to see just how many visitors are searching via desktop or mobile. These trends can help shape your digital strategy moving forward.

 

Your members deserve a better search experience

As the financial industry continues to evolve, it is clear that AI-powered site search will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of banking and credit union websites.
 
Cludo’s intelligent search solution helps you support the expanding digital needs of your members in a timely and cost-effective manner, saving your employees time on the phone and boosting the productivity of your team.
 

Ready to take the next step into site search optimization? Request a demo of Cludo’s platform to talk to one of our sales experts today! We're here to help your business thrive in the digital age.